


Lost Boy

by 7heN3rD



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Torchwood
Genre: Adoption, Aliens, Alternate Universe, Child Harry Potter, Crossover, Father-Son Relationship, Kid Fic, M/M, Magic, Magic Revealed, Magic-Users, Other, Parallel Universes, Past Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-19
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2018-09-25 11:18:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9817829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/7heN3rD/pseuds/7heN3rD
Summary: A terrified, 4 year old Harry Potter transports himself to another dimension. He is eventually found by Ianto. Thinking that he may be at least part alien, Ianto decides to raise him and protect him from Torchwood. But quickly it turns into something more. Harry is Ianto's son and he loves him more than anything else in this universe or the next.





	1. The Alley

Harry couldn’t stop crying. The alley was cold and dark and Harry would swear there was an invisible monster howling nearby. As his tears chilled on his cheeks, Harry began to shiver and wished he was safe in his cupboard where only the spiders could get to him. It had only been 3 days since he was last at the Dursley’s, but to a boy of only 4 years, 3 days was an eternity.

6 days ago, everything was normal. Harry helped clean the house in the morning, weeded the garden after lunch, and cleaned the dishes after dinner. Dudley, a fat brute of a boy, and his friends chased Harry around the yard, playing their new favorite game, Harry Hunting. But a few houses down the street, Arabella Figg tripped over one of her cats, fell down the stairs and broke her arm.

5 days ago, Harry heard his aunt and uncle yelling about their upcoming trip to Wales. Because Mrs. Figg had broken her arm, she couldn’t take care of Harry while the rest of the family was away. Meaning that Harry would have to come with them.

2 days later they took the train down to Cardiff. The first two days of the trip were normal for the young Potter boy, he was confined to the hotel room and his uncle threatened and intimidated him every chance he got. However, being restricted to one room, neither Harry not his uncle had a place to escape to. So, every time his Uncle Vernon started to get mad, rather than locking Harry in the cupboard under the stairs, his face turning red and his eyes bulging out of his head. When he would begin to yell, Aunt Petunia would harshly whisper that someone would hear. But every time he was hushed, Vernon would get redder and his eyes would bug out farther, his head was slowly blowing up like a balloon. It was on the third day of the trip that Vernon snapped.

It started with a simple mistake. The glass was big and heavy and Harry’s hands were just too little. He felt it begin to slip and made one futile attempt to grab it. The spilled water soaked into Vernon and Petunia’s bed.

BAMB! Vernon clouted Harry across the ear. The force of the blow toppled him over and the back of his head slammed into the ground. Lights danced in front of his eyes and the edges of his sight darkened. As his vision cleared, sound began to filter in and he heard Petunia yelling.

“-op, stop Vernon” Aunt Petunia was holding her husband back, standing between the raging man and her nephew. She lowered her voice to the point that Harry could barely make out what she was saying, “You could kill him and then what?”

“Fine,” Vernon growled and locked eyes with Harry, “but he’s not staying here.”

Harry was struggling to stand up, when a beefy hand grabbed him and dragged him from the room. He was taken out through the back door of the hotel and thrown into the rental car. It was terrifying, the rumbling of the car, the grumbling of his uncle, he was almost glad when Vernon dragged him out of the car and thrown down into the alley.

“Stay here, don’t leave until someone comes to get you.” Vernon was angrier than Harry had ever seen him and his small body couldn’t stop shaking at the threat he heard in the giant man’s voice. The car door slammed and Harry was alone and crying in a dark alley.

* * *

 

Harry sat in the alley for hours as his sobs turned to sniffles. The monster kept howling nearby and the little boy just knew that it was going to consume him. Movement from the far end of the alley made Harry curl tighter into himself, too afraid to look around.

“Hey,” came a gruff, slightly slurred voice, “What are you doing here?” Harry peaked over his arms to see a tall dark figure stumbling toward him.

Harry closed his eyes in fear, trying to shut out the rest of the world. Vernon had told him to not leave, Harry’s heart was beating faster and his breath was squeezed from his throat. If Vernon returned and Harry wasn’t waiting for him, he didn’t know what would happen but his uncle was capable of terrible things. 

 _Why was this happening?_ There was a monster nearby and a loud stranger staggering towards him. The world span, Harry wanted to run away but Vernon had told him to stay where he was. The air sparked around him and there was a loud CRACK, scaring Harry to his feet. It quickly became apparent to Harry that the man from a moment ago had vanished and the cold damp night had become a clear brisk morning.

For the second time in one night Harry’s head was spinning, this time with confusion. Thankfully, children possess the amazing ability to simply accept everything that happens to them. Being no exception, Harry sat back down and gave into the exhaustion of the night.

What Harry couldn’t have understood, was that he had caused this dramatic change. His desire to escape the things that scared him and his fear of disobeying his uncle was so great and greatly at odds that Harry had an extreme episode of accidental magic. These things caused Harry to transport himself to another dimension. A dimension that’s future ran parallel to his original dimension’s parallel, making the year not 1985 but 2006.

To the east, in London, Ianto Jones was pulling his half dead, half converted girlfriend from the rubble of Torchwood One. His sobs echoed throughout the devastated building. Even though he was passing the mangled bodies of his friends, Ianto desperation kept him moving toward the exit.

Hundreds of kilometers away from where Harry had disappeared, in a castle in Scotland, Harry Potter’s name disappeared from a list of students set to arrive in a mere 7 years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd really appreciate feedback and advice on this story. To hear where people see it going (no promises that I will listen to any of it).


	2. A New Friend

Harry had sat in the alley for several hours before a young mother, out on a morning run, noticed him huddled up on the ground. She sat with him. Trying to get him to talk as the police came, but he wouldn’t say a word. He peaked over his arms occasionally, and in those moments, she was just able to make out a livid bruise on the side of his face.

By the time the police arrived the woman was crying and Harry was peering at her curiously. The male officer took the woman off to the side to ask her a few questions while the woman squatted down next to Harry.

“Hello love. What’s your name?” She kept her voice gentle and steady so as not to scare him further.

Harry wasn’t sure if he should tell this woman anything, but Uncle Vernon had said that someone would come to get him. The other woman didn’t seem to confident, but this woman was wearing a uniform and spoke like she knew what she was doing.

“Harry,” he said it in a whisper that the officer could just make out.

“Harry?” She was thankful that he would speak to her. In some situations like these, it would take a long time to get the child to say a word. “Just Harry?”

“Harry Potter,” this was said a little louder as Harry became more certain.

“Well, Harry Potter,” the officer said, “how did you end up here, all by yourself?”

“Uncle Vernon told me to wait here. He said someone would come to get me.” The officer gave a sad smile. Unfortunately, that was about what she was expecting.

“Well, I’m here to get you. So, why don’t we go to the car and you can get all warmed up.” She reached out her hand and after a second’s hesitation Harry took and they walk to the car together. She sat Harry in the back of police car and radioed into the station to say they were on their way back. Harry looked out the window and gave a small wave to the young mother as she left. She seemed sad and Harry found it confusing, so he wasn’t too upset to see him go.

The next few hours were a blur to Harry and people came and went and asked him questions that he didn’t know the answers to. In the end, it was certain that Harry would not be going back to his families, not that they could find any record of them, or him for that matter. And he was put into another car with a man, Mr. Thomas, who said that she would be taking him to a brand-new home with lots of other children to play with.

Things finally came back into focus when the car pulled up to a large brick house with a tall fence and basketball hoop in the drive. It didn’t seem like too bad a place, a woman was stepping out of the house and waving to them as the man helped him get out the car.

“How are you Harry? Did you have a nice drive?” The lady was smiling but Harry still wanted to hide. He had met so many new people just today, it was overwhelming. So, Harry just stayed silent and stared at his shoes, glancing up occasionally.

Mr. Thomas bent down to be eye level with the tyke, “Harry, this is Mrs. Hughes, you’re going to be staying with from now on.” Harry’s eye grew and he started to stare up at the woman. “There are lots of other children here, I’m sure you’ll be happy.”

*****      ***      ***      *****

2 months later, on the last day of September, and Harry felt like he was back with Dursleys again. Strange stuff had happened since he had arrived, and they only happened when he was around.

Mrs. Hughes had given him a haircut when he first arrived. It was much too short and the scissors had been dull, making the whole thing look like it had been with hedge trimmers. Harry hated it. But not for long, by the next morning his hair had completely grown back.

That was when the whispers had started. Mrs. Hughes didn’t say much but her gaze was sterner after that day. And the other children whisper whenever Harry got near but they had stopped talking to him directly.

These strange things kept happening. Harry would get pushed in the kitchen and all the glass would break. Mrs. Hughes would be scolding him and her hair would turn green. No one could prove any of this was Harry’s doing, but deep down they all believed it was.

This is the reason why Harry ended up in the park on that fated day.

The day is warm but the air is chilled, just cold enough to require a sweater. When Harry gets to the park, which is just to right of the home but not in view because of a line of shrubs, there is a man there, already sitting on the swings. He is sitting in Harry’s regular spot. Out of the four swings it was farthest from the slide. Not sure what to do, Harry stands there for a little while and just looks at the man wearing khakis and a denim jacket. The man stares back at Harry for a while and after giving the boy a small encouraging smile, Harry shuffles over and sits on the swing closest to the slide, farthest from the stranger.

“Not playing with your friends?” The man eventually says. Harry only responds by shaking his head no and beginning to swing back and forth. “I’m Ianto by the way. You don’t have to tell me yours. In fact, you better not, since I’m a stranger.”

“I’m Harry.” For some reason, Harry feels confident and isn’t scared of this stranger, Ianto, in the slightest.

“Defiant little man, aren’t you?” Ianto smirks at Harry, who blushes but smiles. The two sat like that for a while until Harry herd Mrs. Hughes calling him and, with a wave, he ran back to the house.


	3. A Little Boy

Canary Wharf had ended in tragedy, even for those that survived. For Ianto it was especially heart breaking. He felt so helpless. He couldn’t do anything to alleviate Lisa’s pain. She was attached to machines that kept her breathing and her heart beating, but the pain was still great.

Most of Ianto’s time needed to be spent taking care of Lisa and the rest was spent working part time jobs to pay for rent and food. With his savings dwindling, London had become too expensive forcing Ianto to move back to Wales. He still couldn’t afford to live in Cardiff and he didn’t want to stay too close to his sister. So, after just 2 weeks of hiding in London, he found a good cheap flat halfway between the two and a small office to hold Lisa in. He had to make excuses and falsify paperwork to explain the large amount of power that was being drawn by the salvaged equipment, but in the end, it was worth it to have her there, alive with him.

Ianto felt like he was drowning. Between caring for Lisa and working two jobs he had no time to rest in the last 2 months.

Once again, after 8 hours working as a temp, Ianto was on his way back to the woman he loves. But still, he walked slowly, dreading what awaited him. So caught up in his own thoughts, Ianto almost fell over when a group of children ran past him laughing. As they passed, he turned to watch them go. That’s when he saw it.

Across the street, in a park, a little black haired boy was reaching up towards the tree branches and floating down towards him was a stuffed rabbit.

For a second Ianto thought that his sleep deprived mind was making him see things. But no, it was still floating down towards the boy. When it finally reached him, the child ran into a house just next to the park. Still clinging to the rabbit, nearly two-thirds his size.

Ianto was stunned. Could this little boy be an alien? Surely only an alien could have that kind of power. With his heart racing, Ianto snatched his cellphone. But who would he call? Torchwood One had been destroyed and he didn’t know how to contact Torchwood Three. Ianto hesitated further, he had seen what One had done to aliens that landed on this planet and for all he knew Three was the same. This was a little boy, alien or not, didn’t he deserve a chance at life? So, he walked away.

Three days later and Ianto Jones was sitting on the swing in the park. He hadn’t been able to put the boy out of his mind. Maybe it was just because he needed something besides Lisa to focus on. Or maybe he empathized with the boy. He had researched the home the child had gone into and found that it was for children that had been abandoned. Being alone, that was something he could understand. Even though Lisa was alive, Ianto felt as if he was alone.

And there was the boy in question. When Ianto looked up his eyes meet that of the strange child's. After staying like that for a few seconds, Ianto gave him a small smile and the kid sat on the swing farthest from him.

Even though they were both nervous, Ianto's able to coax him into conversation.

Harry. It suits the boy and, when a woman calls for him to come inside, Ianto’s almost sad to see him go.

*****      ***      ***      *****

A few days later, Harry was very glad to see that the man, Ianto, had returned. He’s wearing a suit this time, just like Harry had seen daddies on Privet Dr. wearing as they went to work.

“Hello,” Harry called as soon as he saw Ianto approaching. He ducked his head down but Ianto could still see him smiling.

“How are you today, Harry?” Ianto made sure to keep his voice gentle.

“Good,” Harry starts to swing.

That day, Ianto sat closer to Harry. Leaving only one swing between them. “No friends again today?” Ianto hadn’t meant to come back. In fact, the first time he saw Harry had been an accident. He had taken a wrong turn that day on the way home. However, the second time and this time, were very much on purpose.

“Bunny is inside,” It was said so matter-of-factly that it broke Ianto’s heart.

“I meant other children. Boys and girls your age.”

Harry stopped swinging and Ianto saw his smile disappear, “They don’t like me. But that’s okay, I’m not lonely.” Harry’s voice was small and timid. For the first time, truly appearing to be the abandoned child that he is.

“I would be lonely,” black hair flopped around as the little head shot up and green eyes met hazel. “You know, we could be friends.”

“Really?” Harry had never had a friend before and Ianto seemed, to Harry, a very good first friend. As he considered the offer, his face became tense with concentration. After a few seconds of internal deliberation, Harry gave a sharp nod. “Okay.”

Ianto couldn’t believe how happy that made him. Harry had thought so hard about it, it obviously meant a great deal to him. So, to be accepted by Harry meant a great deal to Ianto.

Eventually it was time for the two friends to part ways once again, but it will be far from that last time that they see each other. Over the next five weeks, Ianto visits Harry with increasing regularity. It’s his only escape from horrors in his mind and the miseries of his life. Though he still loved Lisa it was increasingly hard to be around her, he had been trying but there was nothing he could do to help her.

But Harry was different. Even though he was lonely and didn’t quite understand the world around him, he still smiled every time he saw Ianto, happier to see Ianto then anyone had ever been. It was first for both of them. No one had ever come to visit Harry and here was Ianto visiting him every few days.

Outside of seeing Ianto, things were getting worse for Harry. His strangeness had not stopped and the children had stopped ignoring him and were now pushing him and pulling his hair as soon as Mrs. Hughes’ back was turned. Even Mrs. Hughes was nervous around him. So, when all the other children were at school or daycare, Harry was left to his own devices. Everything in this new place was turning into something very much like life with the Dursleys. Everything, that is, except for Ianto.

Things came to a head one day when Ianto entered the park and didn’t find Harry sitting on the swings. For the past 2 weeks, whenever Ianto had come to the park, he had found Harry on the swings, waiting. He was only left wandering for a second, when a small body hit his legs and latched on. And there was Harry, face pressed to Ianto’s trousers, crying his eyes out.

It took a while but Harry eventually calmed down and allowed Ianto to pick him up.

It was distressing for Ianto to see Harry so upset. But he was still able to keep a level voice. “Now, why don’t you tell me what happened, love?”

Harry answered but it was directly into Ianto’s shoulder, so he couldn’t hear a word of it.

“Come on now, I can’t hear you like this,” Ianto jostled his shoulder so that Harry would know what he was talking about.

The tiny head lifted up just an inch or so. “Tomos pushed me and everyone else laughed.”

Ianto’s grip tightened and he took a deep breath, “I so sorry Harry, children can be very mean sometimes. Did you tell Mrs. Hughes?”

The crying started again but between the sobs Ianto was able to make out what Harry was saying, “Mrs. Hughes was there. But she didn’t do anything.”

Ianto didn’t answer right away, he had an idea what might have happened to have ostracized Harry from the other people of the house but he didn’t want to scare Harry further. So, he gently rocked Harry side to side and rubbed his back. Eventually they were both calm enough to talk again. “Why do you think they did that Harry?”

“It’s because,” Harry hesitated but the took a deep breath and continued, “It’s because of my strangeness.”

“What strangeness? You’re not strange.” Ianto tried to reassure him.

“Yes I am.” Harry insisted, “Strange things happen around me and that’s why no one likes me.”

“Well I like you. And no strangeness will change that.” Harry lifted his head more and looked Ianto in the eyes, “You can tell me anything you want to.”

Harry looks like he’s going to cry again but instead he starts to speak and he doesn’t stop for half an hour. He tells Ianto about the haircut and the wig and the glasses and on and on. It was not even all about the strange things that have happened. It was about people who hate him for something that he can’t control. It was about how his family had hated him. But mainly it was about how he hated being different. Like a flood of words, everything rushed out of Harry and when it came to an end he was left gasping for breath.

Ianto didn’t know what to say but when Harry’s grip on his shirt tightened, he squeezed back. “I will never not love you.” He felt like he was physically holding himself back from telling Harry that he would never leave him alone.

The two sat together, Ianto still holding Harry, but they didn’t speak until they heard Mrs. Hughes call Harry in. With a quiet goodbye, Harry reluctantly went back inside.

Ianto slowly walked back to Lisa. He was not in a hurry to go back to her broken body and twisted mind. But what he couldn’t get out of his head was what Harry had told him. Not about how powerful Harry was, which was amazing, but how Mrs. Hughes, the woman who was supposed to take care of his little boy, had turned her back on Harry and let him be hurt.

In the 30 minutes it took to get home, Ianto made up his mind. Harry was never going to be alone again, because he would be Ianto Jones’ son.


	4. A Little Family

With his mind made up, Ianto got to work. He had made a lot of contacts when he worked as Yvonne's personal assistant. And he used them all in three weeks. By the end you couldn't really say that what he done was legal but still no one would be able to take Harry away from him. It was the end of September by the time he was finished and he was, for the first time ever, driving to get his son.

 _Oh god._ He pulled the car over, put it in park, and started to panic. Doubt pumped through his veins like ice, freezing him up. _Could he do this? Was he ready? His house was ready, but was he?_

He took a deep breath and tried to make his hands stop shaking. Harry needed him. He could do this.

As Ianto pulled up to the house, it felt like the first time he had ever been there. It seemed darker and more daunting then it ever had. When he knocked on the door, it sounded like banging drums in his ears. The door creaked open slowly and there she stood in the entrance. Mrs. Hughes. A smile sneaks onto her face and Ianto reminds himself that this is just a woman, he was just letting his nerves get to him.

"You must be Mr. Jones, I'm Mrs. Hughes." She reached out her hand.

Ianto clasped her hand in return. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Harry's just waiting for you in the kitchen, this way." There feet thundered across the floor as they approached a door trimmed with light. Ianto's hand shook as he turned the door knob, he tried to remember if it had ever stopped shaking. But all thoughts of worry or doubt were pushed from his mind at the site of Harry sitting at the kitchen table, clutching Bunny, face buried in its head.

Another deep breath and Ianto walked over and squatted down next to Harry's chair. Cautious green eyes peaked over the brown peak of Bunny's head. As soon as Harry caught site of Ianto, tears weld up in his eyes and began to spill over.

"I'm sorry that I took so long." Ianto made sure to keep his voice quiet enough that Mrs. Hughes could not hear.

"Thought you had left me. That you hated me." The tiny voice broke Ianto's heart.

"I could never hate you. And I will never leave you alone."

"Never?" Black curls bounced as the head popped up.

"Not for as long as I live." With that, Harry launched himself into Ianto's arms. Clutching Harry and Bunny, Ianto stud and turned towards Mrs. Hughes. "Is this everything?" Indicating a bag on the table.

"That's everything," the woman explained, "he came with nothing."

After a few minutes of paperwork and formalities, Ianto buckled his sleeping son into the car seat in the back of his car and drove off. As he drove, Ianto could barely stop himself from just staring at the backseat. It all seemed like a dream. Who could have guessed that only a few months after he lost his entire world, Ianto would find a new one.

*****      ***      ***      *****

He couldn't stop smiling. He had his own room. The walls were sunset red and had gold polka dots of all sizes scattered about. The bed, with tis black and gold spiral comforter, sat in the corner farthest from the door. Next to it was a big black armchair, perfect for reading stories. The rest of the furniture was simple wood; a bookshelf, a low coffee table, and, in the closet, a bureau. It was the best room Harry had ever seen.

"Do you like it?" Ianto was cautious. He knew the bed spread clashed with the walls but he couldn't afford much and he wanted it to look fun. Like every kid's room should.

"It's the greatest." Harry looked up at Ianto with a 100-megawatt smile.

"You're the greatest, Ianto."

"You know," Ianto's heart rate picked up, "now that you're my son, you could call me Tad. But only if you want to."

"You're the greatest Tad." Ianto's arms were filled with a small warm body. This was something he could get used to.

"Welcome home, Harry."

*****      ***      ***      *****

Rhiannon was whispering but it definitely seemed like she was yelling. "You have a son? Since when?"

"About a week ago," His eyes flicked over to Harry who was watching the television with his niece and nephew.

"A week? And when were you going to tell me?"

"I'm telling you now, aren't I?"

"But a child, Ianto. Your only 25 and you look as if you might fall over dead." And there it was, as usual Ianto's sister was worrying about him. She didn't think he knew but the less he told her the more she worried. He didn't tell her much. "Do you even have a job?"

"I've been working." That wasn't completely true. He hadn't worked in 2 weeks. Between getting Harry, taking care of Harry, and checking up on Lisa every night, he hadn't found time to get a new job. He had quit his last one because – well, he couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something about the offices had put him on edge.

When Ianto glanced over to his sister it was clear to him that she didn't believe him. "I'm not being funny. We need a plan."

"You're going to help me?"

It took 2 hours but in the end, they had one.

Harry was 4 years old, but his birthday had been set on July 31, the day he had been found. This meant he could start Reception in January with the second term. Ianto would drop Harry off at Rhiannon’s house 3 and a half hours before the start of school (8:30am), before Ianto would go to work. Harry would then be at school until 3:00pm. Ianto would pick him up from there, after he finished work. This would give the two plenty of time together before they went to bed.

The bug problem was Ianto finding and keeping a job. But all of that could wait. Today was December 17, 8 days until Christmas. Harry would start school in the second term. Honestly, Ianto wasn't sure why Mrs. Hughes hadn't started Harry in school during the first term. For now, Ianto had enough savings to last until Harry started school after the New Year. But in the meantime, Ianto would spend as much time with his son as possible.

By the time they had worked all of this out, Harry was asleep and Ianto carried him to the car. The siblings whispered goodbye and confirmed their plans for Boxing Day. Then Ianto was off, on his way to see Lisa.

*****      ***      ***      *****

"Hello, beloved." Ianto kissed Lisa softly on her lips, as if he was afraid she might break.

"Ianto," her breath was labored and wet, "you haven't come to see me in days. Where have you been?"

He didn't know why, but Ianto had been putting off telling Lisa about his new charge. "I've been much busier recently. There's something I have to tell you." Ianto was nervous almost scared, "I've adopted a 4-year-old boy."

"What?" Strangely, her voice sounded electronic, filtered, Ianto shook it off.

"His name is Harry and he is amazing. I know you'll love him when you get to know him."

"I don't want to get to know him." She seemed angry. At what, Ianto didn't know.

"He needed me, Lisa. And you've always wanted children." He was frantic for her to understand. "I know the timing isn't great but I can take care of both of you. And when we find a way to fix you, the 3 of us will be a family."

Ianto's words hung in the air. Lisa, lying there, staring at him accusingly.

The conversation seemed to be going nowhere. So, Ianto got to work giving Lisa her medicine and checking that all the machines were working properly. When everything was in order, he grabbed his coat and started to leave.

"Ianto," Lisa called after him, "get rid of the boy. You need to stay focused."


	5. Happy Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ianto and Harry's first Christmas together!

Harry held tight to the cold glass of milk, careful not to spill a single drop. Left foot forward. Feet together. Right foot forward. Feet together. Carefully, he avoided the dangerous hazards of the living room. Navigating his way between the chair and the couch. Circumventing the coffee table and scaling the edge of the carpet, until finally he reaches his haven, the table. He placed the glass on the small table standing next to the little family's little Christmas tree. To Harry it is the most beautiful of trees, glittering with tinsel and glowing with strings of lights, it was magical. He and his daddy had decorated it together, and he will always remember when Ianto handed him the dainty angel, then with big, warm hands lifted him and with a final stretch he places the little woman on the summit of their tree.

Ianto and Harry were both amazed at how alive the flat seemed. It was like nothing they had experienced before. For Harry, it was the first time he had truly felt love at Christmas.

A plate of cookies landed next to the milk on the table and raven locks bounced as Harry start. He looked up and smiled into the warm face of his young father.

"Now Santa will have a nice snack on his long trip tonight," Ianto explained.

"Are you sure he's going to bring me presents? He's never brought presents before."

It wasn't the first-time Harry had said something like this and Ianto was getting a clear picture of what life had been like for the little boy. _Those_ people were lucky, because if Ianto could figure out who they were they would find themselves having a very unfortunate accident.

But he pushed all that down and smiled at Harry. "Of course he'll find you. You sent him a letter, didn't you?"

"Yes!" Harry gave a little hop and his arms shot upward. In an instant, he was being held in strong arms.

"So, when you wake up," as if on que Harry yawned, "and come to the tree, there will be presents waiting just for you. But first, Cariad, you must go to sleep."

"But I'm not tired," He was still yawning.

"No?" Ianto tried not to smile, but was most definitely failing, "Then how about we brush our teeth and I'll read you a story and then you can stay up all night."

"All night?"

"All night."

Ianto hadn't finished reading the third page by the time Harry was sound asleep. He didn't leave right away, Ianto stayed, petting his son's hair and watching him gently breath in his sleep, occasionally letting out little huffs.

Things hadn't been easy the last couple of weeks. Both he and Harry suffered from nightmares and more often than not Harry would end up sleeping I his tad's bed. But things would get better, they had each other now and they would support each other. For now, Ianto just wished the kid would sleep through the night.

* * *

 

"Wake up, Daddy!" Before Ianto could even do as asked, a weight landed right on his stomach, "He came, he really did! Just like you said he would!"

"Who came, Harry?" Ianto groaned.

"Santa came, last night. And he drank my milk."

Ianto smiled at the excited boy. "You don't say. Should we open presents now? Or eat breakfast first?"

"Hmmm," Harry hummed, "Breakfast! Can we have pancakes?"

"It is a special day, so yes."

The rest of the day was spent with smiles and laughter. For Harry, it was one of the best days he had ever had, coming in a close second to the day Ianto asked him to become his son. He and Ianto played together all day, testing out new toys, reading some of the new books. When Harry opened his very last present he found it contained a football. The two went to a nearby park where Ianto began to teach the surprisingly coordinated child to pass.

When Harry would miss, Ianto would just encourage him to try again. And when Harry kicked the ball right to his waiting Tad, the man would cheer and smile and Harry would feel like he was on top of the world.

The one-time Harry fell, he skinned his knee and it began to bleed. He was sure he was dying, but to Ianto it had been a comical fall. So, as scooped his son into his arms, he couldn't help but chuckle. It might seem wrong to laugh at a child but Ianto guessed it was just a parent's right to find delight in everything their children did.

That had been the end of their day. They went to sleep that night, full of stories and coco and joy.

Before Ianto's mind quieted for the night, he heard a whisper from the warm bundle in his arms, "Happy Christmas, Daddy."

* * *

 

The next day was just as full of new experiences for young Harry Jones.

They spent the morning with Rhiannon, her husband Johnny, and their two children. Ianto and Rhiannon sat in the kitchen drinking coffee and watching Johnny play with the children. Ianto had to give the man credit, he had always thought the man was an incompetent fool but he was good with children.

After relaxing for the morning, the six want to a local rugby match and though Harry didn't understand the excitement of the people around him was contagious.

Harry squealed with delight as he got to sit on Ianto's shoulders for the entire game. Johnny, on the other hand, would not stop complaining as his children continually asked him to do the same as Ianto.

Christmas, Boxing Day, it was all more perfect than Harry could have ever imagined and he felt secure in the promise that they would not be the last of their kind.

_Chapter End_


	6. New Experiences

The new year past more quickly than either of the Joneses would have liked and suddenly it was time for school the begin.

“I don’t want to go,” Harry said teary eyed from the back seat of the car, “Don’t make me go. Let me stay with you, I’ll be good, I promise.”

“It’s going to be alright.” Ianto tried to soothe, “You’ll make new friends and learn exciting things.”

Harry just chocked back a sob.

“Oh, bach*.” Ianto got out of the car and opened Harry’s door, “I promise you’ll like it and I’ll be back to get you before you know it.”

Harry remained stubbornly silent until they reached the door to his new classroom.

As Ianto squatted down and gave Harry a hug good bye, the boy whispered to him, “Please don’t make me.”

“Back before you know it.” He stood as a woman approached, “And here is your new teacher, Ms. Charles.”

He stayed for a while longer introducing Harry to Ms. Charles and then watching from the doorway as his son was say next to a pale girl with blond hair. It felt wrong to leave Harry with strangers but he knew it was important for Harry to interact with children is own age and to keep up with the curriculum.

This was good, this was what Harry needed. Or at least that’s what Ianto kept telling himself as he exited the building.

Ianto spent the rest of the day looking for a job. Thanks to his extraordinary skill with coffee he snagged a job as a personal assistant with the hours that he needed for Harry, which he thought was impossible. So, at 3:00 he was waiting at the gate Harry walked out and, before running to his tad, waved to the blond girl he had been sitting next to.

Ianto scooped Harry up into his arms, “So, did you have fun?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Harry almost sung, “I made a friend, her name is Sarah.”

“Is she the girl you were waving to?”

“Yes. There were some boys being mean to her and I told them to stop,” Harry was now rambling, “but they didn’t and they pushed me too. I didn’t cry, I just said ‘ _Stop being mean!’_ and pushed Dylan back. He _did_ cry.”

It took a minute to figure out what Harry had said and then another minute to figure out how to respond. “Good job, Harry. I’m proud of you for helping that girl.” Some might say he should reprimand Harry for using violence but no one could call Ianto conventional. “I’m so glad that you had fun. We’ll go home now, in a minute, but we have to stop off somewhere first.”

As they drove, Harry gleefully told his father all about his new friend and Ianto listened, just smiling and not interrupting. But the moment the car pulled in front of the office containing Lisa, the car went silent.

Eventually, a voice came from the backseat, “Do I have to wait in the car again?”

“Yes, Harry, but I’ll be back soon.” Ianto cracked the window and locked the door before heading into the building. This wasn’t unusual for them, they came to this place every 2 or 3 days. Harry had asked who was inside and Ianto had told him that it was a very nice friend but he had never let Harry into the building.

“Hello, love.” Lisa greeted him.

“Hello,” his voice was soft and kind but he didn’t move to touch her, instead going straight to the pain medication. Things had been cold between them since their first discussion on Harry. Ianto pushed that aside and prepared the injection.

“Ianto, you look tense,” Lisa fussed, “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t want you to worry. It’s just,” Ianto hesitated, “the medication is only going to last for one more month.”

“That’s not a problem, right? You can get more.”

“Well, yes, I would get it now but with Harry, the budget’s tighter.”

“What about the money from torchwood? They paid well, and I know you saved most of it.” Lisa was starting to sound tense herself.

“It’s fine,” Ianto tried to reassure her, “I’ll figure it out.”

“That boy, it’s- “

“Don’t,” Ianto interrupted, “don’t blame him. It’s not his fault. Why do you keep trying to put all this on him?”

“I’m in so much pain, Ianto.” Her voice weld up and broke at the end, calculatedly weak, “I need you, but your so distracted now. I understand that you want to help him, but what about me? I need you. I need your help.”

Ianto heaved a sigh and began to administer the pain meds, “I’m sorry, I’m here now, I’m with you. There won’t be a problem, I’ll get the medicine.”

 He finished up quickly and left, explain that Harry was waiting in the car.

Ianto didn’t look back as they drove away.

* * *

 

Slowly, the little family settled into their new normal. Up at 5:00 am, to Rhiannon’s by 5:30, at work by 6:00. Then through an average day as a secretary in a mundane office doing a mundane job. Until, finally, he could pick harry up at 3:00.

It worked perfectly, Ianto had a job, Harry went to school, there was time every couple of days for Lisa and there was, most importantly, time for each other. IT was perfect, at least from the outside.

From the inside, there was a slow rot. The battle was still haunting Ianto, when closed his eyes he saw the bodies of him friends and his colleagues scattered around him, in the silence he heard their screams. Every day it ate at him, destroying him and he was terrified of dragging Harry down into the dark with him.

Even on the good days he was restless, knowing what was out there in the world, in the galaxy, and not being able to get to it. He needed to forget and move on, for his son, but he couldn’t. He was trapped in the hell of his past.

They went on like this for a month, until one day in early February, they ended up back at Lisa’s.

As usual Ianto told Harry to stay in the car.

“But why?” Harry complained, he was frustrated at not knowing the truth, “If it’s your friend then why do I have to stay here? Why can’t I go with you?”

“My friend is sick, she needs to rest.” This was an old argument by now, one they had every week.

“I’ll be right back,” he said and headed to the doors.

“Good morning, Ianto,” Lisa called, “What’s today?”

“It’s Saturday, Lisa.”

“Is Harry with you then?” This made Ianto pause. It wasn’t the first-time Lisa had asked about the boy but it was the first time she had asked this question.

“He’s outside, in the car.”

“Poor thing. He must be bored, outside, all by himself.” To Ianto, she seemed genuinely concerned for Harry. “I, I was thinking that you could bring him inside. I would like to meet him.”

“You would?” Ianto asked, socked, “Right. Right! You’ll love him, he’s amazing. I’ll go get him.”

Lisa gave him an encouraging smile as he tried to walk calmly back outside to the car.

Harry’s face lit up and he gasped when Ianto opened his car door only minutes after leaving. “Done,” Harry wasn’t asking.

“No, not yet.” Ianto explained, “My friend wants to meet.”

He lifted Harry out of the car and they began to walk to the building. “My friend’s name is Lisa. She’s very nice but her cloths are strange. You don’t have to be scared, I’ll be with you the whole time.”

They walked into Lisa’s room with Harry hiding behind Ianto’s legs, clutching his trousers.  The space was dim and a woman lay on a metal bed. The woman, Lisa, was wearing, what seemed to Harry to be, metal underwear with some metal straps connecting the top and the bottom. She also had a neck brace and hat with a handle on the top of her head, all made from the same metal as her underwear. As the went further into the room Harry almost tripped on the mess of wires that covered the floor but managed to keep upright using the trousers in his hand.

The entire room was frightening to Harry and he could feel his chest tighten and his breath get stuck in his throat. He didn’t understand why his tad had brought him to this spine-chilling place or why Lisa would want to live there.

Ianto crouched down to Harry’s level and gave him a comforting smile, “Harry, I’d like you to meet my very good friend, Lisa.”

“Hello Harry,” Lisa softly smiled at the child but it made Harry’s stomach roll, “Ianto has told me so much about you. He says you’re a very special boy. Why don’t you come over here and shake my hand?”

Harry looked up to his tad for reassurance and Ianto nodded his approval. He hoped that this meant that Lisa had accepted Harry and that when he found a way to cure his girlfriend, they could be a family.

Approaching the bed, Harry felt something warm gathering in his belly and his fingers began to tingle. The closer he got to Lisa greater the sensation became, until she started to reach for him and the feeling exploded out of him.

As Harry approached Lisa, Ianto was anxious and excited. This was a big step for all of them and he was hopeful it was a sign that Lisa was returning beck to original self. In an instant, it all changed. Lisa reached toward Harry and electricity arched from Harry to her, then the lights shut off.

“Harry!” Ianto desperately called. He tried to move forward toward his son but instantly tripped on the cables and sprawled on the ground. “Harry?”

The lights flickered and came back on and Ianto’s heart stopped. Right in front of him, Harry was crumpled on the ground, alive or dead, Ianto couldn’t tell. He scrambled to reach his child, imagining the worst. As soon as he could, he gathered Harry in his arms and felt for a pulse. ‘ _Unconscious,’_ he began to breathe again and only then noticed that the bed next to him was empty.

He stood slowly but his head was constantly moving, looking for Lisa, looking for danger. Harry was clutched to his chest, his steady breathing a comfort to the agitated father. Something behind Ianto crashed to floor and he whipped around but there was nothing there. Ianto knew that he needed to find Lisa but he also need to het Harry out of this place. He turned to the door, ready to run only to stop at the sight of his tormented ex-lover standing in front of the only exit.

“Lisa, what are doing?” Ianto kept his voice even so not upset her. “How are you… You shouldn’t be up, you’re ill.”

“No Ianto,” her voice grated at his ears, electronic at its core and filled with static, “I have been upgraded, I am Human Point Two.”

“It’s not too late, Lisa. Look at yourself there’s still time to save you.” He was desperate to get his message across, to find the remaining humanity inside of her.

Lisa turned to a nearby mirror and a look of disgust overcame her. “I am incomplete.” Hope rose in Ianto’s heart as he heard her sad declaration.

“It’s not too late. I can save you.”

“I must start again, upgrade properly,” the words rung with finality. She turned to face her prisoners. “And you, I can upgrade you and we can be together. We can create a better world together.”

“No!” He begged, “Lisa!”

“Isn’t that what you want? To be with me forever?” And finally, it was clear to Ianto that this was not the woman he had loved, this was a machine who’s programming could not even begin to grasp the meaning of the word.

“No,” this wasn’t Lisa and Ianto only understood that when it was too late.

“Then we are not compatible,” she took a step toward the pair, “you must be deleted.”

“I’m sorry,” and he meant it. Using all the courage he could muster, Ianto reached behind a table with his free hand and retrieved the gun he had stored there. In one practiced motion, he aimed and fired one shot into her forehead just above the eye, trying to avoid the helmet of the cyberwoman.

He couldn’t look after that. Just dropped the gun and held Harry all the tighter. This was all he had left now, this small, helpless boy lying limp in is arms. The warmth gave his courage as he made his way to the door. When he went to step over the cyberwoman’s crumpled form he couldn’t help but look at her face, or more accurately where her face used to be. He had missed. Not by much, but enough that he had hit her closer to the center of her face, caving it in and making her unrecognizable as the woman she once was.

Bile built up in his throat and he ran until the frigid air hit his lungs and the rays of the morning sun blinded him. It seemed so wrong. Surely it should be dark out, raining, anything but the cheery Saturday he had been experiencing only 10 minutes prior.

It was too much, Ianto let his mind shut down and his training take over. He secured the still unconscious Harry in his car seat and drove to his sisters. She would later tell him that he had not said a word when she had answered the door. Just handed her boy, got back in the car and drove away. He disposed of the body and all the machinery as only an agent of Torchwood could, not leaving any hint that a creature that may have very well ended the world, once called the place home.

For days, Ianto would wander around his flat despondently, his mind trying to understand what had happened but whenever he would come close to accepting the events, he would reject the reality and the struggle would begin again.

Eventually, he settled and remembered the child he had left with his sister. Upon arriving at her house, he was with a hug from Rhiannon and snot and tears from Harry. It was a good reminder, he was not alone, this was his family and he could not fail them like he had failed her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *bach = “little one”


	7. The Meeting

“Tad, watch me!”

“I’m watching.”

“Watch me!”

“I am,” Ianto couldn’t help but smile. It had only been five months since he had adopted Harry, but he was truly feeling like a father. Watching his son on the swings, he was filled with a warmth. This person was his responsibility, to protect and to love. This small, helpless child made him happier than he had ever been.

In the park, watching his son swing higher, things were good. His mind was at rest. But at night, in the dark, he saw the bodies of his friends. In the silence, he heard the electronic screams of Lisa. The only thing that gave meaning to Ianto’s life was Harry. There was no meaning in the two secretarial jobs and three barista jobs he had already had that year. His life was torn between the love and joy he felt for his son and the hopelessness he felt on his own.

A small body slammed into him and a toothy smile radiated up from Harry’s face. “Did you see me?” He panted.

“I did,” Ianto lifted Harry into his arms and the little head dropped to his shoulder, “you went really high. Are you done? Ready to leave?”

Harry mumbles a _no_ but the gaping yawn told Ianto otherwise.

“What if I tell you we can come back tomorrow?”

Harry paused and considered the question, like he any choice in the matter. “That would be fine.”

“It would be fine?” Ianto couldn’t help but chuckle at the attempt at maturity. “Well then, we’ll see how high you can swing when we come back.”

After Lisa’s death and Ianto’s subsequent three day disappearing act, Harry had been extremely clingy. Every night he wanted to sleep with Ianto and most nights Ianto gave in. Every day Harry didn’t want to go to school and Ianto would be forced to pull small fingers from his clothes as Harry was passed to the teacher kicking and screaming. It would have been impossible to explain what had really happened, so Ianto had told everyone an edited story about how someone close to Harry had died and it had brought up his abandonment issues from before his adoption. In the end, Harry’s feelings had settled and the last remnant of the trauma lay in the way Harry always carried around the stuffed rabbit that he had been given at the group home.

But even with the outward signs of distress fading, it worried Ianto that his behavior had affected his son in such a negative way. It broke his heart to see Harry cry, knowing that he wouldn’t always be able to protect him from pain. But he knew that for the rest of his life he would do everything he could to not be the cause of Harry’s pain.

“Bunny!”

At Harry’s yell Ianto hit the brakes, forcing the car behind them to swerve out of the way. The other driver yelled profanities as he passed them. Ianto turned around, ready for anything, but all he saw was a little boy crying his eyes out.

“What is it? Harry?” Ianto asked, as he pulled the car over.

“Bunny,” Harry whimpered.

“What about Bunny?”

“He’s gone.” These words were wailed from the back seat.

“Did you leave him at home?”

“No, the park!”

“He’s back at the park.” Ianto’s eyes bugged out and Harry burst into a fresh set of tears. Ianto couldn’t help but curse under his breath, Harry wouldn’t be able to sleep without that bloody stuffed rabbit and it was already getting dark. Making up his mind, Ianto continued to drive toward their flat.

“No, go back!” Ianto winced at the high-pitched shriek, “You have to save Bunny!”

“Harry,” It was meant to sound calming but it came out as more irritated.

“Tad, go back.”

“Harry, listen,” Harry sniffled and cried but the wails died down. “I’m going to leave you with Ms. Lewis and then I’ll go get Bunny.”

“You will?” Ianto wasn’t sure that his son could sound any needier than he did in those two words and it briefly crossed his mind that he would do anything for his son, he would kill for him, he had killed for him. That line of thinking was too much for Ianto, so he pushed it to the back of his mind and continued to drive.

They had moved shortly after Lisa’s death. The place that Ianto had before was somewhat run down, it wasn’t falling down but it wasn’t the ideal place to raise a child in. There was paint coming off the walls and at night the pipes creaked loud enough to wake Harry up.

One day, an older boy told Harry that there was a monster in the pipes and that was why they creaked at night. Harry cried every time the pipes would wake him up and it would take Ianto an hour of cuddles to get him to go down again.

When they moved to their new flat, the first question Harry asked was if there were monsters living there too. Knowing what he did about the world, Ianto could not tell Harry there were no monsters, so instead he got down to Harry’s eye level and promised him that he would never let anyone or anything hurt him. Ianto knew that realistically he could not keep this promise but it was one he would try to keep every day of his life.

It turned out to be good thing that Ianto didn’t swear there wouldn’t be any monsters in their new flat, because later that same week they bumped into the woman across the hall. And to put it lightly, human would not be the right word for her. Ms. Lewis was in fact Diplosian from the planet Diplos.

Knocking on the door now, Ianto hoped she would be in as he hadn’t called ahead. Harry had cried himself to sleep in the car and he hadn’t wanted to risk waking him. Since meeting, Ms. Lewis, as she insisted to be called by everyone, had become a trusted ally. Now that the father and son duo lived farther from Rhiannon, it was good to have someone that was willing to help out now and again. And if Harry happened to speak words from a language Ianto had never heard before, it was a small price to pay.

Ianto knocked again and heard a faint call to enter from inside the flat. As soon he entered to flat, Ianto caught sight of the silver skinned woman with her hair up in a red scarf. When they had first met it was a shock to say the least but Ianto quickly introduced himself and explained his familiarity with extraterrestrial species. It took a while longer to convince her that he meant her no harm. She was in fact now one of the few people familiar with Harry’s unique set of abilities.

“Ms. Lewis,” Ianto asked, “I was hoping you could do me and favor and watch Harry.” He quickly went on to explain the situation and promised to return in less than hour, Bunny or no Bunny.

“Of course I’ll watch the little darling.” Ianto handed over the sleeping child, smiling at the posh way Ms. Lewis always spoke. As if she had been raised among the London Elite and not on another planet, thousands of light years away. Ianto just thanked God that she happened to land on Earth of all places.

* * *

 

By the time Ianto got back to the park, it was pitch black outside and the only car in the car park was a black SUV.

Ianto jogged back to where they had been playing earlier that day and where he remembered last seeing the bunny. As he slowly walked, tracing their steps of earlier, he heard a growling and snarling coming from up the hill to his left. He paused a moment and was about to continue when a humanoid shape darted across the trail just 30 yards in front of him. The thing paused for a second and as it turned its head, Ianto caught sight of a set of large sharp teeth. The beast was unmistakable, it was one of Cardiff’s infamous weevils. Though they primarily stayed in the sewers, when they left the damp dwelling it was only to bring violence to the world above. Torchwood One had heard many stories of agents’ lives being lost to the sharp claws and fangs.

It was with a sigh of relief that Ianto noted the beast had not seen nor smelt him. But the relief was short lived as a second figure appeared, yelling in triumph and tackling the weevil, sending both farther down the slope.

Instinct told Ianto to run as far and as fast as he could. But Ianto had long since abandoned instinct in favor of working for a company that encouraged its employees to be proactive to the point of stupidity.

When it was clear that no one else was coming to help the fool, for that is what he was, and the yells of triumph had begun to turn into cries of pain, Ianto began a quick descent of the hill, grabbing a club like stick on his way down.

By the time he reached the two, the weevil was on top of the man. The beast was making a wet snarling noise and seemed to have the man’s throat in its jaws. For his part, the man was doing a marvelous job of continuing to scream while having his throat ripped out.

Ianto hit the beast twice in the back and as it swung around toward him he hit in the head before it lunged at him. He grabbed its arms and held it at bay. The long teeth, dripping with blood, were just inches from his face. It was so much stronger than him, he knew he would only be able to hold on second longer and the other man would be no help at this point. The last bit of hope was beginning to fade and regret was beginning to set in as the man, on the ground dying just a second before, tackled to the creature once again. It was quickly subdued with weevil spray and a bag was put over its head.

Danger now past, Ianto threw the stick he was still holding to the side and took the opportunity to study the person in front of him. The man was obviously Torchwood. If the way he dealt with the weevil hadn’t given it away, his clothes would have. Agents always seemed to have a flare for the dramatic and this man was wearing a dark-blue RAF trench coat, complete with matching slacks, a button-down shirt and suspenders. Ianto only briefly let his mind wander to how well the coat fit the man’s frame.

This was obviously Captain Jack Harkness. Infamous flirt and charismatic leader of Torchwood Three. Yvonne had spoken about him many times, it was always half complaining and half admiring. No matter the man’s faults, he kept Cardiff safe from the countless dangers that came through the rift.

And now he was turning toward Ianto with suspicion in his blue eyes.

“Thanks,” Ianto said, and immediately began to kick himself for not thinking of something better to say.

“No, thank you,” the Captain said in his distinctly American accent, “And you are?”

“Jones, Ianto Jones.” He went back to mentally kicking himself. There goes his James Bond obsession again.

Jack held his hand out and Ianto gave it a firm shake. “Nice to meet you Jones, Ianto Jones. Captain Jack Harkness.”

With nothing else to talk about, Ianto brought their attention back to creature at their feet. “Lucky escape.”

“I had it under control,” Jack said defensively.

“You think so?” Ianto almost laughed and Jack tried to smile like this was just a normal night in the park. Two strangers just running into each other. Ianto wasn’t going to let the Captain just blow him off. “Looked pretty vicious. You’re, um…” Ianto reached out to where Jack had been bitten but then stopped in shock, “You were bleeding.”

Jack chuckled, “Had worse from shaving.”

Never one to let himself be sidelined, Ianto said, “Looked like a weevil to me.” Jack froze.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The tension was almost palpable, “I’ll take it from here.” He reached down and hauled the weevil over his shoulder before walking away from Ianto. “Thanks for assistance.” It sounded much less sincere with time around.

“Any time.” Ianto called after him, “By the way, have you seen a stuffed rabbit laying around?”


	8. Unexpected Visitor

Ianto didn’t stay long after that. Even though he played it cool around the captain, the events of the night had rattled him. When he had first arrived in Cardiff with Lisa, he had considered trying to join Torchwood Three so that he could use their resources but he knew how much Captain Harkness disliked the London branch and did not want to bring too much attention to himself. After finding Harry, the feeling only increased. But now, here he was, having saved the man himself and revealed his knowledge of aliens. There was no way that he could go back under the radar after tonight.

He told Ms. Lewis just as much after explaining his night to her.

“I’m not going to run,” he somehow managed to stay this with much more conviction than he was feeling, “I’m just sorry if it brings any unwanted attention to you.”

The woman placed her hand on Ianto’s knee. “Do not worry about me. I have lived on this planet far longer than you have. I lived here under the old Torchwood regime and I now live under the new regime. Hopefully I will be here to see the next, but either way I am content.”

Ianto wasn’t sure how to respond, so he settled with placing his hand over her’s and gently squeezing.  He hoped she was able to understand his thanks.

They stayed like that for a moment, thinking of the past, before sounds of Harry moving restlessly in his sleep brought both back to the present. Deciding that it was time to leave, Ianto gave a quick goodbye and sincere thanks to Ms. Lewis. He then carried Harry across the hall and tucked him into bed. As he went to pull away, small hands in his shirt kept him from leaving. Rather than force the situation, Ianto lay down on the bed. He only meant to lay down for a minute but before he knew it, he was waking up to sunlight shining through the window.

He rolled over and came face to face with wide watery green eyes leaning over him.

“Bunny?” the question was asked with the most heartbreaking whimper. Filled with both hope and dread. The sound made Ianto cringe in anticipation.

“I’m sorry sweetheart, I couldn’t find him.” The tears in Harry’s eyes weld up and over flowed. “Come here, have a cwtch.” Not needing further prompting, Harry launched himself into Ianto’s arms and began to cry in earnest, Ianto holding him close.

They stayed like that for a long while, only moving after their stomachs began to put up great protests.

“Alright,” Ianto whispered, “let’s go eat breakfast.”

Harry nodded, took a shuttering breath and lifted himself off his father’s chest. Once in a better position, Ianto lifted Harry into his arms, took them both into the kitchen and sat Harry on the counter.

“What should we eat, then?” They were walking on a razor’s edge. Harry had stopped crying but Ianto knew even the smallest thing could set him off. “Cereal? Sausage and eggs? Toast and beans?”

A sniffle and then, “Beans.”

“Beans on toast?” Ianto asked and Harry gave a weak nod. They stay silent as Ianto cooks, making a plate of beans on toast with tomatoes. When the food was ready, they ate in continued silence. It had been a long night for the both of them and they had a lot to think about. Harry sat, thinking about his bunny and how sad he must be, lost and alone without a tad to find and save him. Ianto was stuck contemplating his encounter with Captain Harkness and worrying what would happen to Harry if Torchwood came after them.

Both were so caught up in their own worlds that they could not appreciate how similar they were in that moment. Both thinking about what was important, worrying for another’s safety. And both with the same scrunched up expression on their faces.

* * *

 

Being Sunday, there was no worry about having to leave Harry at school, where he would no doubt kick up a fuss. Instead, they ate a nice breakfast and cuddle together on the sofa, watching the TV.

Things went smoothly until lunch time, when the warm meal made the already sad Harry tired. With the drowsiness came a bad mood. So, when Ianto told Harry to brush his teeth after eating, the boy exploded. With every insistence on Ianto’s part, Harry’s wails got louder until suddenly the kitchen sink burst and water was shooting out like a geyser.  

The pair were shocked into silence and for a minute they were statues staring at the water rocketing from the broken spigot.

The moment was shattered by a knock at the door. Harry’s eyes welled up and his tears burst out almost as fiercely as the broken spigot. The person at the door knocked again, harsher this time, just as Harry ran to his room.

Ianto didn’t know what to do. He was torn between comforting his child and finding out who the insistent person outside their flat was. The decision was made for him when Harry’s door slammed and knocking officially became banging.

He threw open the front door. “What?” he nearly shouted at the man on the other side. To his utter shock, there stood a very irritated looking Jack Harkness.

“So, not just some overly observant local, then, are you?” the Captain pushed his way inside, past Ianto.

The Welshman rolled his eyes and closed the door. “Go on then, make yourself at home. Can I get you anything? Tea? Coffee?” Not waiting for a reply, he walked into the quiet kitchen and began to make a fresh pot of coffee.

“You lied to me,” Jack accused as soon as the kettle clicked off and the water was poured.

“I didn’t lie to you,” Ianto retorted, “I don’t think that we spoke enough for me to lie to you.”

Jack harshly pointed his finger at the other man, “You said you were just looking for a stuffed animal.”

“And I was. It’s not my fault that you added meaning that wasn’t there.” Ianto handed the Captain a cup of the, now perfectly made, rich black liquid.

“Ianto Jones, able student but not exceptional. One minor conviction for shop lifting in your teens.” He took a sip of the coffee. “Damn, that’s good. A number of temporary jobs, moved around quite a bit. Until two years ago, you joined the Torchwood institute in London, junior researcher. Girlfriend, Lisa Hallett. And starting five months ago, one son, Harry.”

“Well, it seems like you know everything.” Ianto was feeling a little smug inside because it seemed that Jack didn’t know that titles at London meant very little. In reality he had spent the longest time as Hartman’s PA and in many ways, the second in command. Though he would never have the stomach to make the hard decision that a director had to make, he could basically run the place. He almost had once, well the day to day things a least, when an ex-girlfriend of his took over. But he was getting side tracked. Jack Harkness was sitting in his kitchen, drinking his coffee, and his (maybe alien) son was just a stone’s throw away. “But why, may I ask, are you here?”

“You knew what a weevil was. I thought I would need to come take care of you.”

“And instead you find out that I’m a colleague.”

“We’re nothing of the sort.” Jack spat, “We’re nothing to do with Torchwood London. And that’s why I’m here. Go back to London, find a job, raise your son, just don’t stay here.”

Ianto thought a moment, trying to find the right words, “I was trapped in the building as it burned. I heard the screams of my friends and our enemies. I didn’t run away then and I’m not going to run away now. I will stay here and raise my son where I was raised, near our roots and our family. Nothing you can say can change my mind.” Ianto made sure his voice was firm and that their eye contact did not waver. “Plus, you’re not in charge of me, you said it yourself, you have nothing to do with London.”

Jack just stared at him, seemingly not sure what to make of the man. “This isn’t over.” He reached into his pocket and smirked when Jones flinch backward. Gripping the object inside he pulled it out and set it on the counter. Sitting there now, was a green and white stuffed rabbit, aptly named Bunny.

Not saying anything more, he turned about, coat flowing behind him, and walked right to the door.

“You could have led with that.” Ianto sounded more annoyed than he felt.

Jack opened the door and turned back once more, “Now where would be the fun in that?”

Ianto just stared as the door shut behind the American. The flat echoing with the sound of the slam. It was only then that Ianto thought about the silence. The water, it had stopped somehow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you that don't know, we learn a lot about Ianto's time with T1 in Big Finish's audiobook, Torchwood One: Before the Fall. I highly recommend the all the audiobooks produced by Big Finish. They use the really actors to voice the characters and the stories all do great justice to the show. Just a suggestion for those who, like me, miss the shows and our beloved Ianto.
> 
> Additionally, I'd like to thank everyone for being patient with the release of this chapter.


	9. It's a Bird!

**Chapter 9: It’s a Bird!**

Even after the incident in the kitchen, Ianto didn’t talk with Harry about his powers. It wasn’t that he was afraid of his son, it was just that he didn’t know how to approach the subject in a positive way. He didn’t want to just go up to Harry and say, “I know all about your powers and I will always love you, but there’s this group of people whose entire job is to find people like you and use them or kill them.”

It wasn’t the first part that scared him, he told the little boy that he loved him all the time, it was the “but” that scared him. How do you tell a 4-year-old that he will always have to hide what he was? How do you put that on a child? The only answer was that you didn’t.

So, Ianto kept quiet and they went about their lives. Harry went to school on Monday, Ianto went back to looking for work, and when they went to the park next, Ianto kept an extra close eye on that damned rabbit.

Despite their flat returning to normal, Ianto could not stop thinking about Captain Jack Harkness and the potential threat that was Torchwood.

Now, however, was not the time to think on such things. It was Friday afternoon and Harry had gone to spend some time at his friend, Sarah’s house. The two had become close in the months since school had begun and Ianto was proud of the progress his son had made with his social life. It was quite the opposite for Ianto himself.

After disappearing for days following the death of Lisa, Ianto had been, understandably, fired from his job as a PA and finding a new one was proving difficult. He felt restless and unsatisfied with everything that he did. Additionally, nothing had the flexible hours that he needed in order to give Harry the attention that he needed.

As Ianto approached the house, he heard children’s laughter bursting out. Harry’s laugh was so distinct, and it warmed his heart to hear the bright tones. Immediately after knocking on the door, the laughter redoubled and grew louder until the door opened and he was gifted with the sight of his smiling child and a happy blond-haired girl.

“Tad,” Harry’s words came out more a breath than anything else, still winded from laughing so hard. Launching himself at Ianto’s legs and he held tight.

“Sarah, how many times have I told you not to answer the door?” a deep masculine voice came from inside. Ianto looked up from his son to see John Clark, Sarah’s father, walking towards them. “How are you Ianto?”

“I’m doing well. Thank you for letting Harry spend the afternoon, he’s really been looking forward this.” He and John had met a couple times at the school and Ianto liked both he and Sarah’s mother, Elise, well enough.

The small group stood in the doorway for a while longer, making small talk, before Harry let slip a wide yawn.

“I think I best get this one home before he falls asleep.” With one final thanks, Ianto lifted Harry into his arms and took him back to the car.

It was a quiet night as they drove back to the flat, they only past a few other cars on the road. Ianto took a moment and glanced back to see the black-haired child asleep in the seat. When his eyes returned to the road, he slammed on the breaks, bringing the car to a screeching halt. In his car seat, Harry began to whimper, having been startled awake by the sudden stop in motion. Despite the crying, Ianto could not take his eyes off the creature in the middle of the road. It was unbelievable, sitting there staring back at him was a pterodactyl.

The bird like creature stood in the middle of the road. Scared by the unexpected appearance of Ianto’s car, it had furled out its thin long leathery wings, making it appear as big as possible. The world stood still, Ianto and the creature staring at each other, the only sound coming from Harry sniffling in the back seat.

“Tad,” Harry whispered, “Is that a dinosaur?” Ianto looked back and thankfully saw a small smile dancing on the child’s lips. There was a moment of relief that Harry was not frightened, before the creature, that was most definitely a dinosaur, admitted a screech unlike anything that the ex-Torchwood agent had heard in his life. But rather than being frightened, a smile burst onto Harry’s face and his eyes lit up.

Ianto turned back to see the pterodactyl had begun to take flight and violently lifted itself into the air. It was incredible to see. This long dead, dangerous animal rising into the air and disappearing into the cloudy night sky.

“Bye bird,” Harry called after it. Ianto couldn’t help it, he just began laughing. This encounter could have gone so wrong, the dinosaur could have attacked them, and he would likely be dealing with a dead pterodactyl and a traumatized child. Instead, they were safely in their car and Harry was as happy as could be.

There was only one thing they could do now.

“Should we go find it, Harry?” Ianto inquired, smiling. Harry laughed and smiled and nodded his head as quickly as he could. With a quick trip to the trunk, Ianto had a rift detector in hand and locked on to what he hoped was residue left of the pterodactyl, because where else could it have come from. Off they went, driving carefully but quickly until they reached a warehouse district.

They came to a halt in front of one particularly large warehouse and the ex-Torchwood agent was certain that the creature has hiding itself in there. Rain had begun to come down as they drove, and it was only getting harder. Ianto regretted not changing out of the suit he had put on for the job interview he had had earlier in the day, as it offered no protection from the weather.

“Stay here Harry, I’ll be back very soon.” He tried to reassure his son. When he received a tentative nod in response, he took off running toward the building.

Ianto tried the first door he came to only to find it locked. Not letting this discourage him, he moves further along the building. Before he rounded the corner, he sent one last look towards the car. It may have been his imagination, but he thought he could see Harry’s little nose pressed up against the glass. With that final image, he moved on. The sooner he found this thing, the sooner he could get back. Immediately after coming around the corner, he spotted a large loading door standing open. Running towards it, he tried to keep quiet, now glad for the rain which was muffling his footsteps and washing his sent away.

As he approached the opening he began to feel his heart hammering in his chest, it was beating so hard he was certain it would burst from his chest.

Something like that had happened before, back in London with Torchwood One. There was an alien parasite that got into people’s blood stream and eventually the pressure would get to a point where their hearts literally exploded in their chest. It had been a messy business and difficult to coverup, but Ianto was good at his job and the dramatic events never reached the news.

Coverups were one thing, field work was never something Ianto was particularly good at. This was evident by his clammy and shaky hands. He took a deep breath, smelling the air, now cleaned by the rain. Despite this, he could still smell the bay. Closing his eyes, he could see it; the vast water with the lights of the city reflecting off it. The image soothed him nerves. This was something he could do, this was something he had done before. When he opened his eyes again, he was calmer, more focused.

He finally stepped into the building; soaked to the bone. The large room was mostly emptied and lit by only a few lights hanging from the ceiling, casting a soft glow over everything. A screech came from overhead. It was high pitched and grating. The sound made Ianto stop mid-step.

His head whipped around, desperately searching for the flying beast. Finally, he saw it dip down from the shadows and land on the far side of the warehouse. Ianto allowed himself to relax a little but didn’t let his guard down. This was his time to act. Act with no traps, no sedative, and no gun. Still, he couldn’t let it escape.

The answer was clear but choosing to follow through with it was difficult. He must close the loading door; the old, slow, loud loading door. So much for staying calm; Ianto began to hyperventilate. If he was able to start the door closing, the dinosaur would hear it and fly out. If he distracted the beast then it would eat him, if it didn’t eat him, he would be trapped in here with it and Harry would he trapped in the car. Why he used to work in a place where this was the daily, he did not know.

But now was not the time for regret or second guessing. He desperately searched his pockets and came up with a singular chocolate bar. Compared to the giant pterodactyl the bar was just a crumb of chocolate. He needed something else. He needed more. He needed – but it was too late. It had seen him.

Without thinking he took two quick stops to the left and hit the button. The door began to rattle closed. The sound was only over powered by the unearthly screech of the flying beast. It took off from the ground and, seeing Ianto’s small figure, began to charge.

In one last ditch effort, Ianto yelled, “Hey! Fetch!”, and he threw the chocolate as far as he could from himself and the dinosaur. Miraculously, the creature veered away from him going after the flying object that smelled like food. Wasting no time, Ianto ducked under the closing door.

As he burst back out into the rain, he tripped and fell onto his backside. The water slowly began to soak into his cloths bit he didn’t get up. He sat and stared as the door closed agonizingly slow. Though it was likely only seconds more, it felt as though hours had passed before the door gave one last shutter and there was resounding thud as it closed against the pavement.

What followed was a blissful silence until the sound of rain came back to Ianto’s attention. He was wet and cold and sitting on the ground. So, he carefully pushed himself to his feet and made his way back to the safe warm car.

* * *

He sat there in his car just staring at the warehouse where he had trapped the dinosaur. Wasn’t that a surreal? There he was, an unemployed single father and he had just gone off and chased down a dinosaur.

Harry was now peacefully asleep in the backseat. He had been so excited, he wanted to go in and see the reptilian bird. Ianto had only just been able to console him by saying that Harry would be able to see the creature later. To Ianto that meant never, to Harry that likely meant as soon as the rain stopped.

As Ianto had stared out into the downpour of water wandering what had come over him, Harry had chattered all about what he was going to do with his new pet. Of course his son wouldn’t be satisfied with a dog or cat or fish. No, he wanted a pterodactyl. In fact, he had already named it Myfanwy. Which was, apparently, the name of the class rabbit and Harry liked the name very much.

This had gone on for a while, Harry talking and Ianto siting in near shock. Finally, Ianto shook himself and turned around, only to find the child asleep.

That’s where they were now, sitting in the car as the rain poured down around them. This was getting ridiculous. What was he going to do with a dinosaur? He lived in a two bedroom flat for God’s sake! With this thought he turned on the car, ready to turn on the headlights and drive away, never to come back to this place again. Who can say what would have happened if Ianto had left right then, he would have likely moved away from Cardiff, away from the rift. Either closer to his sister or closer to London where he would likely find better work. But, thankfully for everyone involved, that never happened.

As he turned the key and started the car, lights appeared ahead of him. They grew brighter as the car they were attached to drew closer. Ianto waited, holding his breath, hoping that it wasn’t some innocent bystander he would need to stop from going into the warehouse. The car ahead came into sight and as it turned right Ianto let out a sigh of relief.

Written in large font on the side of the SUV, declaring the owner of the vehicle, was one word. TORCHWOOD.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. I'm hoping to focus on this story and have it finished by the beginning of next summer. So, hope you enjoy. Please review, I love to hear from you guys.


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